“It’s positive for the community overall considering the economic situation in the region,” City Administrator Mike Yanez said. “Over the last couple of years it has indicated that people are looking to Tonganoxie as an affordable place to live with good quality of life assets. We offer everything from parks to a swimming pool and the small town character that we preserve.”

He also said the cost of living was much better in Tonganoxie.

“I think the key is our affordable housing when you compare our home prices to what other communities have for their average house price,” Yanez said.

Another Leavenworth County city, Basehor, experienced even more growth. Basehor increased by 12.7 percent, or 478 people, from July 2007 to July 2008 as the Census Bureau estimated Basehor had a population of 4,230 on July 1, 2008. Leavenworth, meanwhile, saw its numbers decrease slightly, as estimates showed its population decreasing by 11 people to 34,729.

McLouth and Linwood also showed minimal drops in population. McLouth’s population in July 2008 was 835, a drop of four people, while Linwood had 388 in July 2008, a reduction of one person, according to Census Bureau estimates.

Yanez has high hopes for Tonganoxie, especially once the County Road 1 corridor is open to traffic and as development begins to flow into the city. He thinks that this will continue to bring affordable housing to the area and if the new industrial site on the corridor develops and jobs are created in the city, even more people will want to live in Tonganoxie, he said.

“I think the city is only going to go upwards in population,” Yanez said. “I certainly don’t see the community going down in population over the next decade.”

Here’s a look at population totals for several area cities:

• Bonner Springs: 7,161 people, up 108 people or 1.5 percent.

• Lawrence: 90,520, up 667 people or 0.7 percent.

• Baldwin City: 4,308 people, up 120 people or 2.8 percent.

• Eudora: 6,226 people, up 172 people or 2.8 percent.

• Lecompton: 666 people, up 23 people or 3.5 percent.

• De Soto: 5,420 people, up 52 people or 0.9 percent.

• Gardner: 17,462 people, up 1,040 people or 6.3 percent.

• Lenexa: 46,822 people, up 1,275 people or 2.7 percent.

• Manhattan: 52,284 people, up 533 people or 1.0 percent.

• Olathe: 119,993 people, up 2,298 people or 1.9 percent.

• Ottawa: 12,850 people, up 22 people or 0.1 percent.

• Overland Park: 171,231 people, up 2,312 people or 1.3 percent.

• Shawnee: 60,954 people, up 1,170 people or 1.9 percent.

• Topeka: 123,446 people, up 881 people or 0.7 percent.